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feet of dry land under the arches on the London, and none on the Surry fide, (where the fhore projects more, and is much fteeper and bolder than that at Blackfryars) which would have rendered fo confiderable a part of the water-way of the bridge, in this period of the tide, totally useless.

In confequence of this pofition of the bridge, it became neceffary to extend the north butment, and make it confiderably longer than that on the Surry fide, notwithstanding the apparent defect it occafioned in the fymmetry of the whole.

But as

the committee were not without hopes, that the many difadvantages attending the prefent form and courfe of the river, might fome time or other induce the legislature to direct this part of it to be embanked, fo as to range in a line with the north entrance of the new bridge, the north butment was fo constructed, as that it might, at the expence of labour only, be made to coincide with the wifhed-for improvement. This alteration, therefore, I moft earneftly recommend, as not only advantageous to the trade of London and Weftminster, and to the navigation of the river, but greatly conducive to the health of thofe two populous cities. And fince the land-owners will be confiderably benefited by the extenfion of their property, and there is no fund provided for defraying the large and conftant expence of lighting, watching, and repairing the new bridge, it is propofed that the new acquired ground fhould for ever be fubject to a reasonable and proportionable quit-rent, to be settled either by parliament, or, in the more ufual way, by a jury, and appropriated to that ufe.

The expence of embanking and filling up this part of the river, and of erecting new landing places at Whitefryars, the Temple, and Effex ftairs, with proper caufeways, privies, and guard piles, is estimated at 7,500l. the providing of which is one of the objects of the following plan.'

We are not fo converfant in city finances as to judge upon the expediency and practicability of the propofed plan, which is to be executed by certain furplufes of the orphans' fund, the particulars of which are not very interefting to the generality of our readers. We fhall, however, in juftice to the author, ftate his obfervations on the nature and effects of his plan.

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First, It propofes nothing that can incommode the fate, as it calls for none of the immediate refources of government, but only for a continuation of taxes already existing, viz. of the 6d. coal-duty from Michaelmas 1785, and of the other taxes from Lady-day 1803, fuppofing them to expire at that time, by the total payment of the prefent orphans' debt,

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zdly, Pofterity will have little reafon to complain of their being fubjected to pay for 42 years and a quarter, what their predeceffors will have paid for 85 years, from 1700 to 1785, or to pay for 24 years and three quarters, what those predecef fors will have paid for 112 years, from 1691 to 1803; efpecially as they will be in the full poffeffion of the benefits refulting from the works in queftion, which the prefent generation will not all live to fee completed.

< 3dly, Thefe taxes, it is admitted, affect fome of the neighbouring counties, but that in a very small proportion, for whichthey receive a full equivalent in the confumption of their pro duce by the inhabitants of London and Westminster.

4thly, The city and citizens of London will, over and above their fhare (in common with others) of the several taxes intended to be continued, contribute upwards of 479,824 1.

5thly, On the other hand, I am perfuaded that neither the city or citizens of London will grudge the contributions propofed on their part, there being no reafon to apprehend (confidering the daily increase of rents) that they will not, after Lady-day, 1803, be able to afford those payments which they now spare without any apparent inconvenience; and they will at the fame time with gratitude remember the affiftance at different times received by them from the public, more efpecially in the year 1691.

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6thly, The proprietors of the orphans debt certainly will not complain of any diminution of their fecurity, or of the payment of their principal's being protracted; as the prefent fund, with the additions propofed, is more than fufficient to pay the intereft both of the new and old debt; and, as the government four per cents are above par, they will confider the delay in the payment of their principal as an advantage; and fuch it was underflood to be, in 1747, when the benefit of being last paid off was particularly referved to the orphans.

7thly, As to the terms propofed for raifing the 126,000 7. I fhall only obferve, that 37. 10s. Od. per cent per annum is 3 fhillings more than the intereft of the government three per cents purchased at 90%.; that the repayment of this debt being poftponed till after all the reft, it is in fact made irredeemable for upwards of 60 years; that there is a great conveniency in having bonds affignable by delivery without the trouble or deJay of a transfer; that the being at liberty to pay in the money by eight quarterly inftalments, is another great conveniency; and lastly, that the receiving intereft on the money thus paid ́in, as if it had all been paid in at once, conftitutes an additibaal premium of upwards of 3 per cent?

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We cannot conclude without obferving, that this patriotic projector fuppofes the works carried on by the city of Westmin1 fter, which coft the public 500,000l. and thofe executed by the city of London, to be equally national, because they are equally local. We are afraid that the true fons of Weftminster and Middlefex will difpute that principle. Weftminfter is not properly a city. It has neither the exclufive privileges nor revenues belonging to London, or indeed any other city in the kingdom; and every one knows that its court of burgeffes have no authority in matters of property, and but very little in the affairs of the police; fo that, in fact, excepting the privilege of returning two members to parliament, Westminster can be looked upon fcarcely in any other light than part of the county of Middlefex.

25. Political Speculations; or, An Attempt to difcover the Causes of the Dearness of Provifions, and High Price of Labour, in England: With fome Hints for remedying thofe Evils. Part the Se cond. 8vo. Pr. is. Almon.

We have already given our opinion of the first part of thefe Speculations. In the pamphlet before us the author proves himself no friend to the public funds, as appears from the following deduction of evils which he thinks fpring from them.

First, That they diminish the number of working people, and add to the number of idlers.

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2dly, That they obftru& private credit.

3dly, That they raise the price of labour, and confequently of provifion and common neceffaries.

4thly, And that they prevent the extenfion of trade and manufactures,?

Notwithstanding the paradoxical air which thefe propofitions carry with them, their difcuffion merits the attention of the public. The author feems to think, that a qualification in land hould be required of all the future members of both houses. before they can fit in parliament; and that every member should have a landed property in America and Ireland as well as England. If (concludes he) fuch a law was established, the jealous reftraints on provincial trade would cease to be neceffary; the gains of America would be understood, without a doubt, to be the gains of Great-Britain; for it would be no longer the intereft of the man who had an eftate in Middlefex, to prevent the product of his other eftate, in Virginia, from coming directly to the best market and at the leaft charge: nor should

* See vol. xxii. p. 461.

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we be under the Athanafian neceffity of declaring by repeated laws, that we were pofitively one and the fame people, and in one intereft; and at the fame time feveral different people, and in feveral oppofite interefts.'

26. A Letter to a Member of Parliament, on the Prefent Diftreffes of the Poor; the Real Caufes of thofe Diftreffes, and the most probable Means of removing them. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Horsfield.

This writer is a ftrenuous advocate for bounties upon corn, which (he fays) has rendered the bufinefs of agriculture fo general through the kingdom, and induced a variety of farmers to occupy large tracts of country in tillage, which muft otherwife have been appropriated to widely different purposes.' He thinks that great part of the fcarcity fo much complained of may be ascribed to the luxury, idleness, and diffipation of the Jower ranks of people; and that nothing can redress the national grievances fo effectually as the leffening the actual burthen of public taxes. As great part of his reafoning is founded on matter of fact, we heartily recommend the perufal of his letter to thofe who are able to contribute to the removal of the grievances he points out.

27. Every-Body's Bufinefs is No-Body's Bufinefs; or, Private Abuses, Public Grievances. Exemplified in the Pride, Infolence, and exorbitant Wages of our Women-Servants, &c. With a Propofal for Amendment of the fame: As alfo, for clearing the Streets of those Vermin called Shoe-Cleaners, and fubftituting in their flead many Thousands of induftrious Poor now ready to farve. With divers other Hints, of great Ufe to the Public. Humbly fubmitted to the Confideration of our Legiflature, and the careful Perufal of all Mafters and Miftrefes of Families. By A, M. Ejq; 8vo. Pr. 6d. Ford. This zealous author very juftly particularizes the grievances specified in his title-page, efpecially with refpect to womenfervants, whom he would have to be dreft in a kind of livery, as our footmen; or obliged to go in a dress fuitable to their ftation. What should ail them but a jacket and petticoat of good yard-wide ftuff, or callimanco, might keep them decent and warm?' Thefe hints are fufficient, in the prefent ftate of things, to justify our advifing the author to beware of the fate of Orpheus.

From maid-fervants the writer proceeds to footmen, and other public nufances. He would have fhoe-cleaners licensed by justices of the peace, and all the porters in the city and liberties of Westminster put under the fame regulations with the ticket porters of London. We cannot pretend to fay how far the regulations he propofes are practicable.

28. Dutch

28. Dutch Modefty expofed to English View ; or, a ferious Anfaver to a Pamphlet, entitled, Afhort and modeft Reply to a Book, entitled, The Dutch displayed. In Vindication of the latter Treatife, from the Objections thereto made by the Dutch. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Williams. We forefaw the publication of this pamphlet, which is written in the very spirit we* predicted. It contains a recapitulation of the controversy between the executors of Mr. Clifford and the Dutch government; and we think the author has acquitted himself with dexterity.

29. A Candid Enquiry into the Caufes and Motives of the Late Riots in the Province of Munfter in Ireland; by the People called White-Boys or Levellers. With an Appendix, containing other Papers on the fame Subject. In a Letter to a Noble Lord in England. 8vo. Pr. 1s. 6d. Flexney.

This is an attempt to prove from news-papers, examinations, declarations, and other evidences, the innocence of certain unhappy perfons who fuffered capitally for the late riots in Ireland. The charges brought against the evidences for the perfecutions are of too momentous, and at the fame time too delicate a nature, for us to pronounce any decifion concerning them at this diftance of time and place. We hope, however, for the honour of the proteftant part of that country, that they can be difproved.

30. The Sea: a Conference between Ariftus and Eugenius. Tranf lated from the French of Monfieur Bouhours. By Thomas Podmore. To which are added, Letters from the Tranflator to a young Lady, whom he had begun to teach French. 8vo. Price Is. Baldwin.

This conference was written by monfieur Bouhours above eighty years ago, and contains fome things which are fanciful, others that are falfe, (particularly with regard to fyrens and dolphins,) and nothing which has not been more truly and philofophically explained by later writers.

The remainder of the pamphlet is taken up with a repetition of the arguments urged in a book printed at Paris ninetyeight years fince, entitled, Avantage de Langue François fur la Langue Latin. Par Monfieur le Laboureur: which is faid to contain differtations by two very eminent men, monfieur le Laboureur, and monfieur de Sclufe. The latter, it feems, thought the French language not quite fo copious, fo expreflive, or fo

* See vol. xxii. p. 396.

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energetic,

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